Panelboard



oct. 1s, 1949.

Original Filed Sept. 9. 1944 w. ROBERTSON ET AL RG- 23,156

PNELBORD 3 sheets-sheet 1 u IN VEN TORS UM ALUM Oct. 18, 1949. w. RoBER'rsoN ETAL Ref-'23515.6-

PANELBOARD...

5 sheets-mnt 2 Original Filed Sept. 9, 1944 JNVENTORS BY .J/ JWM 2:47,@

www

Oct. 1s, 1949.

w. ROBERTSON ET AL PANBLBOARD Original Filed Sept. 9. 1944 BY L JWM. 974.

@f/maw Patented Oct. 18,` 1949 PANEL BOARD William Robertson and Louis'W. Higgins, Detroit, Mich., assignors to Bulldog- Electric Products,- Company, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of West` Virginia Original No. 2,428,322, dated September 30, 1947, Serial No. 553,301, September- 9, 1944. Appli-f. cation for reissue January 28, 1948, Serial No.

11 Claims.

This application relates to panelboards such as are disclosed in a patent to Platz 2,428,320 of September 30, 1947.

For an understanding of the panelboard herein disclosed, reference should be had to the appended drawings.

In these drawings,

Fig. 1 shows a panelboard with the front cover thereof partly cut away to expose the front surfacesv of switch units therein.

Fig; 2` is a back view of one of the units.

Fig. 3 shows two units, back to back, and is a view as if on line 33, Fig.` l.

Fig. 4 shows the panelboard in greater detail.

Fig. 5l is a section on line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6a is a fragmentary view.

Figs. '7 and 8 show a cam-lock plate and a mounting plate in detail and in conjunction.

Fig. 9 is an illustrative perspective view.

The drawings show a panelboard consisting oi a, box Il) whose fron-t open surface is covered by a front cover Il having a large center hole l2 through which may forwardly project the push buttons I4 of switches I5 mounted on the for wardly projecting mounting plate I5., in turn mounted on studs I8,l fastened to the back of the box l0, these studs having hold down nutsV I9, and passing through loops of the plate I5.

Two rows of switches are arranged, one o`n each side of the plate I6, back to back in pairs` At their diagonally opposed corners are hooks 2l disposed in holes 22 formed in the plate It.. The hooks are so arranged that the push on the button llll for each switch tends to push that switch away from the front of the panel and thus enhance the grip of the hooks on the plate. The

(Cl. 175-308 l switches may be assembled or mounted on plate I6 simply by moving them laterally so that hooks 2| enter holes 22, and then pushing the switchestowards the back of the panel. For disassembly the switches are rst pulled forwardly towards cover Il and then laterally.

Projecting laterally from the front of the; switches are line and load terminals 'i3-23a. 'I'he line terminals have holes gripping and receiving resilient pins 24 formed on the bus bars 25 whereby the switches may be electrically and mechanically connected to the bus bars merely by pushing the switches back onto the bus bars.

For locking the switches in place the plate lli., and functioning as a trim strip, to fill the space between the switches, is a U-shaped strip 30 which embraces the forward, edge oi plate IE and whose lower edges overlie the tongues 2l, whose sides have cam slots 3l receiving pins 32 of the plate [6. Strip 30,. may be moved longif. tudinally,V and thus moving Will move toward or away from the. front Il, thus. freeing. or locking the switches t0 the. plate. I6. by permitting or re,- straining movement of the switches, towards theV cover II. The, strip functions mainly to prevent the switchesY moving towards the cover Il by blocking the movement of the tongues 2| out of the mounting plate holes 22.

The str ip 30, has slots 33, f9.1? the b lade oi a, tool whichv facilitates movement of the strip 3l)A endf wise. These slots may be omitted, however, in which case the en ds oi ther strip may be engaged by a tool for that purpose.v Strip 310 llsthc Space between the rows of de vfzS and thus acts as a trim or ornamental strip.,

To lock strip 30 against endwise. movement, the eds@ 0f hole l2 of, cover ll is, iormed to.. engage. the ends of the strip when the cover is, place on the box.

In the panel shown, two of the handles I4 are connected for common actuation, as a two pple switch by a two pole tie-bar 31 formed in, a manner to give clearance to the strip 3l] for movement towards or away from the cover Il as necessary. The bar :il is fastened to the handles I4 by bolts, 38 threaded in to the handles and surrounded by springs 39. The bolts pass through clear holes 40 of the tie-bar.

It will be observed that when strip 30 is moved so as to free the switches. I5 and permit them to be removed from the mounting plate, a, pair of switches joined by a tie-bar 31 may be removed from the mounting plate as a unit, first by being pulled towards theA front of the box, whereupon the two switches may be moved slightly apart', as permittedby the spring mounting at 39, so that the hooks 2| clear the mounting plate and thus permit the two switches l5 to be removed fromv the mounting plate while still connected to each other by the tie-bar |'1, which functions, as a dle for removing the two switches simuita.- neously.,

Now having described the panelboardv herein disclosed, reference Should be had to the claims. which follow.

We claim;

1. A panelboard comprising a box, having a back and ends, and switching devices arranged back to back in two rows which are side by side and centrally disposed therein, and a thin mounting plate perpendicular to` the backA and ends of the box, the plate being between and on which are mounted the two rows of devices, the mount.v ing means comprising front manipmable formaf tions on the backs of the devices cooperating with formations of the plate, and front manipulable means movably mounted on the plate for locking the devices against removal from the plate. means engaging the formations and also filling and trimming the space between the rows of devices.

2. A panelboard comprising a box, having a back and ends, and switching devices arranged back to -back in two rows which are side by side and centrally disposed therein, and a thin mounting plate perpendicular to the back and ends of the box, the plate being between and on which are mounted the two rows of devices, the mounting means comprising front manipulable formations on the backs of the devices cooperating with formations of the plate, and front manipulable means movably mounted on the plate for locking the devices against removal from the plate, the means engaging the formations and also filling and trimming the space between the rows of devices, and comprising a strip arranged to be moved manually towards and away from the formations to block or to release them.

3. A panelboard comprising a box, having a back and ends, and switching devices arranged back to back in two rows which are side by side and centrally disposed therein, and a thin mounting plate perpendicular to'the back and ends of the box, the plate being between and on which are mounted the two rows of devices, the mounting means comprising front manipulable formations on the backs of the devices cooper'- ating with formations of the plate, and front manipulable means movably mounted on the plate for locking the devices against removal from the plate, the means engaging the formations and also filling and trimming the space between the rows of devices, and comprising a strip arranged to be moved manually towards and away from the formations to block or to release them, the strip being moved for this purpose longitudinally along the forward edge of the plate as well as rearwardly towards the formations or forwardly away from them.

4. A panelboard comprising a box, having a back and ends, and switchingr devices arranged back to back in two rows which are side by side and centrally disposed therein, and a thin mounting plate perpendicular to the back and ends of the box. the plate being between and on which are mounted the two rows of devices, the mounting means comprising front manipulable formations on the backs of the devices cooperating with formations of the plate` and front manipulable means movably mounted on the plate for locking the devices against removal from the plate, the means engaging the formations and also filling and trimming the space between the rows of devices, and comprising a strip arranged to be moved manually towards and away from the formations to block or to release them, the strip being moved for this purpose longitudinally along the forward edge of the plate as well as rearwardly towards the formations or forwardly away from them, and a panel front plate arranged to engage the strip to lock it against releasing movement, and fasteners for removably holding down the front plate. l

5. A panelboard comp-rising a box, having a back and ends, and switching devices arranged back to back in two rows which are side by side and centrally disposed therein, and a JGhin mounting plate perpendicular to the back and ends of the box, the plate being between and on which are mounted the two rows of devices, the mounting means comprising front manipulable formations on the backs of the devices cooperating with formations of the plate, and front manipulable means movably mounted on the plate for locking the devices against removal from the plate, the means engaging the formations and also filling and trimming the space be-l tween the rows oi devices, and comprising a strip arranged to be moved manually towards and away from the formations to block or to release them, the strip being channel shaped to embrace the forward edge of the plate.

6. A panelboardcomprising a box having a back and ends, bus bars therein, switching devices arranged back to back in two rows which are side by side and centrally disposed therein, and a thin mounting plate perpendicular to the back and ends of the box, the plate being between the bus bars and the two rows of devices, cooperating front manipulable formations on the plate and the devices formed to permit the devices to be mounted on and secured to the mounting plate by being pushed thereon from the front of the box towards the back, and front manipulable cooperating formation-s on the devices and bus bars formed to permit the devices to be mounted on and secured to the Abus bars by being pushed thereon from the front of the box towards the back.

7. A panelboard comprising a box having a back and ends, bus bars therein,'switching devices arranged back to back in two rows which are side by 'side and centrally disposed therein, and a thin mounting plate perpendicular to the back and ends of the box, the plate being between the bus bars and the two rows of devices, cooperating front manipulable formations on the plate and the devices formed to permit the devices to be mounted on and secured to the mounting plate by being pushed thereon from the front of the box towards the back, and front manipulable cooperating formations on the devices and bus bars formed to permit the devices to be mounted on and 'secured to the bus bars by being pushed thereon from the front of the box towards the back, with the parts being so arranged that the devicesy are mounted on the mounting plate and bus bars simultaneously and with but one mounting manipulation.

8. A panelboard comprising a box, switching devices, bus bars, and a mounting plate, cooperating formations on the devices and the mounting plate formed to permit the devices to be mounted on and vsecured to the mounting plate by being pushed thereon from the front of the box towards the back, and cooperating formations on the devices and bus bars formed to permit the devices to be mounted on and secured to the bus bars by being pushed thereon from the front of the box towards the back, 'with the parts being so arranged that the devices are mounted on the mounting plate and bus bars simultaneously and with but one mounting manipulation, the mounting plate being a thin plate perpendicular to the back of the boxwith mounted on and secured to the mounting plate by being pushed thereon from the front of the box towards the back, and cooperating formations on the devices and bus bars formedto permit the devices to be mounted on and secured to the bus bars by being pushed thereon from the front of the box towards the back, with the parts being so arranged that the devices are mounted on the mounting plate and bus bars simultaneously and with but one mounting manipulation, the mounting plate being a thin plate perpendicular to the back of the box, with the devices being arranged in rows on opposite sides of the plate, the bus bars being on opposite sides of the plate and parallel to the back of the box.

10. A panelboard comprising a box having a back and ends, switching devices arranged back to back in two rows which are side by side and centrally disposed therein, and a thin mounting plate perpendicular to the back and ends of the box, the plate being between the two rows of devices, cooperating front manipulable formations on the plate and the devices formed to permit the devices to be mounted on and secured to the mounting plate by being pushed thereon from the front of the box towards the back and means movably mounted on the plate, and disposed between the rows of devices, for releasably locking the devices against removal from the plate, and lling and trimming the space between the rows of devices.

11. In a panelboard, a box having a mounting plate with one edge secured to the back thereof and extending forwardly therefrom, switching devices provided with mounting formations engaging corresponding and cooperating mounting formations on said mounting plate, and a manipulable locking means secured to said mounting plate at the front edge thereof and mounted in engagement with said mounting formations of said devices for looking said devices from removal from said plate.

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Platz Sept. 30, 194'? Number 

